Alaska Airlines flight was headed for maintenance the same day part of the plane blew off

Alaska Airlines flight 1282 experienced a door plug blowing off shortly after takeoff on January 5. The airline has stated that the plane was scheduled for maintenance on the same day as the incident. The maintenance was initially intended to investigate warning lights indicating a potential pressurization problem that had been appearing on the plane in the preceding 10 days. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) plans to investigate the incident, although they believe the pressurization warnings are unrelated to the blown-out door plug. The NTSB has found that required bolts were likely not installed by Boeing in the door plug. An expedited maintenance schedule may not have detected this issue, but the warnings were concerning enough that the plane was not used for long-haul routes over water. Alaska Airlines has expressed confidence in their maintenance and safety measures and is cooperating with the NTSB investigation.